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They told that this very first crude oil shipment arrived in Ceyhan terminal through the 1,768-km BTC oil pipeline. ''Tankers started to load the oil'', they noted.

According to the same sources, the crude oil will be loaded first to ''The British Hawtharne''. The ship is kept waiting off Ceyhan and will transport the crude oil to world markets.

Turkey is expected to earn 300 million USD p.a. thanks to the project. It will also boost Turkey's geopolitical importance as it is an important leg of East-West energy corridor, sources indicated. Ceyhan will thus become an important center of international oil traffic. Also, reduction in tanker traffic in Canakkale and Istanbul straits will help to the elimination of environmental problems.